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KAMA VARP.fA RE"’."" ' ,p TIT'TE, 
TRICHUR. COCHiN ; T^- 

8 NO 1/1948 





By the same Author 



I. A HISTORY OF INDIAN SHIPPING AND MARITIME 
ACTIVITY FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES With an 
Introductory Note by Sib Bn*i*f«D*»s<»rn Ssal. M.A, 
D.Sc., PhD. Vice-Chancellor. Mysore University 

[Longman*. London. 191 *3 

3 . THE FUNDAMENTAL UNITY OF INDIA (Irom Hindu 
Source.). With an Introductory Noto by the Right Hon. 
Mr. J. Ramsay Macoomau*. MP. 

[Longman*. London. 1914) 

3. LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN ANCIENT INDIA. With 

Foreword by the MAnausaa OF Cun 

[Clarendon Press. Oxford. Second Edition. 19*0) 

4. NATIONALISM IN HINDU CULTURE (Mysore Univer- 

sity P-xtcnUon Lectures. 1919) . . 

(Asian Library Series. I.ccdoo. 19 

j. MEN AND THOUGHT IN ANCIENT INDIA 

[Macmillan A Co , London, ioj«J 

6. HARSIIA (Calcutta University Readership lecture*. 191J) 
[Rulers ol India Series. Oxford. 1936) 




VIRM4 RESEAr M 

'C<CHUR. 1 0CH"W 

8 NUVI950 




k, * T !TUTE. 




ASOKA 

[GJEKlf'jfD LECTURES] 



"fA VARMA RESEARCH IRSTIT" 

TRfCHLiR. COCHIN STATE, 

a >» j V 19 *50 



l*Y 



RADHAKUMUD MOOKERJI 

M.A.* F«i-IX # lriHA.NA‘SiaoMAMi 



r*c*»»K»t ai*D «9M x» o* TM« rKfArru««T or ivoiam hictc^v. 
IUCaWA UHlVKKMTr; Ml* W*;M¥K*A *l¥ *AVAp »AO 
<iU»W»|l WlimilM. m/IMAV AMI 
L«tfTi*a* ‘t/x. f>) 



MACMILLAN AND CO, LIMITED 
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r*IHT*D IN GRKAT ARIT AlS 




TO 

THE SACRED MEMORY 
OF 

MY MOTHER 
JAGANMOHINl DEVI 
184S-1910 



«T ^ 




PREFATORY NOTE 



Tut present work has crown out of my lectures at the 
university. This mainly explains the addition of another 
work to the many already existing on the subject. 
Hut they are not too many for the subject. In spite of u 
large literature, old and new, in different languages, Pali. 
Sanskrit, English, French, and r.erman, seeking from a 
variety of standpoints to interpret the unique personality 
and achievements ol Asoka, the interpretation is not yet 
adequate or final. The very basis of the interpretation is 
something that is shifting, growing, and improving. The 
words of Asoka, tolling best his own tale, and inscribed by 
him in imperishable characters on some of the permanent 
fixtures of Nature, have not themselves come to light all at 
once, but were discovered piecemeal, and at different places 
and times. The search for them in out-of-the-way places, 
the centres of population in Asoka 's days, but now remote 
from the haunts of men. and hidden away in jungles, is a 
story oi considerable physical daring and adventure in its 
early stages. But the discovery of the inscriptions did not 
mean the end of the chase. There was the difficulty of their 
decipherment, of finding the key t» a knowledge that was 
lost and forgotten. The knowledge of the script in which 
Asoka had his words written on many a lock or pillar had 
remained lost to India for ages. The Chinese travellers, 
Fa-hien and Yuan Cliwang. for instance, who had visited 
India in two different periods, the fourth and the seventh 
century A t* respectively, and who were themselves no mean 
linguists, could not find local experts to help them to a right 
reading of the A&okun inscriptions they had come across on 
their itineraries. They have recorded wrong readings of 

vil 




viii PREFATORY NOTE 

those inscriptions, the results of mere guess-work or hearsay 
information of local people not confessing to their own 
ignorance of the scripts. Indeed, the recovery of this long- 
lost knowledge of Asokan script is a romance of- modem 
scholarship. Even when the script was deciphered, and the 
words of Asoka were read, there was the further problem of 
their correct interpretation. 

Thus Asokan scholarship has now to record more than a 
century of progress in its three directions of the discovery, 
decipherment, and interpretation of the inscriptions. The 
progress is marked by the following principal events : 

It was about 1750 that an Asokan inscription was first 
discovered when Padre Ticffenthaler saw at Delhi fragments 
of the Delhi-Mirath Pillar. 

In 1785, J H. Harington first visited the Barabar and 
Nagarjuni Hill Caves. A few years earlier, Hodges on his 
way to the caves was assassinated " by the followers of one 
of the allies of Chyt Singh." 

About the same time, the Dclhi-Topra Pillar Inscription 
was found by Captain Policr, who presented some drawings 
of same to Sir William Jones. 

In 1801 were published in the Asiatic Researches copies of 
the Delhi-Topra Pillar Inscription, and of portions of the 
Allahabad-Kosam Pillar Inscription from copies made by 
Captain James Hoarc. 

In 1822 the Gimar Rock Inscription was found by Major 
James Tod. 

In r 834 was published in the third volume of the Bengal 
Asiatic Society’s Journal the copy of the Allahabad Pillar 
Inscription made by Lieutenant T. S. Burt, together with a 
classified table of the Asokan letters prepared by James 
Prinsep. At that time Prinsep was not able to read the 
entire Asokan alphabet, but could only guess the value of 
post-consonantal a. e, and Anutvdra. After six months' 
study, he improved his knowledge by recognising the 
consonants y, v. and s. 

In 1836, the Shahbazgarhi Rock Edict was discovered by 
M. A. Court, a French officer of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. 

The year 1837 is memorable in the history of Asokan 




PREFATORY NOTE ix 

scholarship. It witnessed the first successful reading of an 
Asokan inscription, the Ddhi-Topra Pillar Edict, by Prinsep, 
who published his reading and translation of the inscription 
in JASII, Vol. vi. He had then already had before him 
copies of the inscriptions on the two pillars at Lauriya Araraj 
and Lauriya Nandangarh. The same year he also published 
a lithograph of the Delhi-Mirath Pillar Inscription from 
impressions taken by Major P. L. Pew. as also the Queen’s 
Edict. The last event of the year was the discovery in 
another remote part of India of the Dhauli Rock Edict by 
Lieutenant Kittoe. 

In 1838, further progress in Asokan studies was achieved 
by Prinsep who made the first comparative study of the 
l wo Asokan inscriptions at Gimar and Dhauli. discovered 
their identity in script, language, and contents, and 
deciphered and published them with translations in JASD, 
Vol. vii. Tracings on cloth of the Girnar Inscription were 
made by Captain Lang in 1835 for the Rev. L>r. J. Wilson 
of Bombay, who then sent them on to Prinsep for decipher- 
ment. Kittoe's copies of the Dhauli Inscription were also 
before Prinsep in 1838. These were his revised copies which 
he obtained at risk to his life. As stated by him, he arrived 
at Dhauli " before day-break and had to wait till it was 
light : for the two hear cubs which escaped me there last 
year, is lien I killed the old bear, were now full grown and 
disputed the ground " \JASB. Vol. vii. 219], 

In 1839, a copy of the Sahasram Rock Edict was secured 
by E. I.. Ravenshaw from Shah Kabiruddin. 

In 1*30, copies of the Shahbazgarhi Rock Edict were made 
by C. Masson by going to the spot through a perilous region 
at considerable personal risk. The copies were examined in 
Europe by Norris, who first read in them the word Devilnum- 
piyasa written in KharosthI script. 

In 1840 was also discovered on the rock at Bairat the so- 
called Bhabru Edict by Captain Burt whose copy of it was 
transcrilied and translated by Captain Kittoe "with the aid 
of the learned Pandit KamalA KAnta ” \JASB. Vol. Lx. 617]. 

In i8jo, the Jaugada Rock Inscription was copied by Sir 
"’alter Elliot who could recognise it to be another version 




X 



PREFATORY NOTE 



of Asoka’s Edicts which had been already found at Shah- 
bazgarhi, Gimar, and Dhaull. 

In i860, the Kalsi Rock Inscription was discovered by 
Forrest who found its whole surface " encrusted with the 
dark moss of ages." 

In 1872, Carlleyle discovered the Bairat Minor Rock Edict. 
To him wc also owe the discovery of the Rampurwa Pillar 
Edict about the same time. 

During these seventies was also discovered the Rupnath 
Minor Rock Edict which was originally found and very 
imperfectly copied some time ago by a servant of Colonel 
Ellis for the Bengal Asiatic Society. 

Then followed in 1879 the epoch-making publication of 
Cunningham on the inscriptions of Asoka. being Vol. i. of 
the Corpus Inzcripiionum Indicarum. This work may he 
taken to mark the second stage in the history of Asokan 
scholarship, the first stage being represented in the work of 
Prinsep, Bumouf, and Wilson (1850). It will appear that of 
the Rock Edicts. Prinsep and Burnouf knew only of three, 
viz. , those at Shahbazgarhi, Girnar. and Dhauli, and Bumouf 
and Wilson, of the Bhabru Edict as well ; of the Cave- 
inscriptions, Prinsep knew only of Nagarjuni, and Bumouf, 
of both Nagarjuni and Barabar ; and of the Pillar 
Edicts, Prinsep knew of all the versions except those at 
KauSambi and Sanchi. By the time of Cunningham's 
Corpus, several additional Asokan Edicts were known, viz., 
the Minor Rock Edicts at Sahasram, Rupnath. and Bairat. 
and the Minor Pillar Edicts at Sanchi and Kausambi. 

There was still a crop of Asokan discoveries to follow. 

In 1882, a fragment of R.E. VIII was discovered on a 
broken block at Sopara by Dr. Bhagwan Lai Indraji. 

The Mansehra Rock Edicts were discovered in parts by 
Captain Leigh, and by an Indian subordinate of the Panjab 
Archaeological Survey in 1889 

The three Mysore Minor Rock Edicts were discovered by 
Lewis Rice in 1891. 

The Nigali Sagar Pillar Edict was discovered in 1895 and 
the Rummindei in 1896 by Fuhrer. 

In 1905 was discovered the Samath Pillar Edict by Oertel. 




PREFATORY NOTE 



xi 

Lastly followed the discovery in 1915 of the Masld Rock 
Inscription by C. Beadon, a gold-mining engineer of the 
Nixam’s Government. 

In the meanwhile, considerable advance in Asokan studies 
was achieved in several publications, among which may be 
mentioned Senart’s Let Inscriptions >h Piyadasi (iS8i), and 
Uiihler's editions of the Asoka edicts in ZDMG, and 
Ep >i;rapb.ia Indica , Vols. i. and ii. Along with these may be 
also mentioned the important contributions to Asokan 
scholarship made from time to time by scholars like O. Frankc, 
V. A Smith, Fleet, Michelson, Luders, F. W, Thomas, 
Hull /sch, I). R. Bhandarkar, K P. Jayaswal, B. M. Barua, 
and A. < Woolner. 

The last Stage in Asokan scholarship for some time to 
come has been reached in the new edition of the Corpus 
published in 1925 by Hultzsch whose recent death is a 
deplorable loss to the study of Indian history in general and 
to Asokan study in particular. 

Now that the Asokan Text and Interpretation have 
practically readied a final form and stage, a convenient text 
bonk .m the subject seems to be called for in the interests 
mainly of the growing number of students who have to offer 
A soka as a subject of study at the University examinations. 
The present compilation has no pretensions to originality, 
except in the matter of some points in Asokan chronology 
and of certain passages in the Edicts, notorious for the con- 
troversy regarding their meanings, on which new interpreta- 
tions have been suggested. The general interpretation of 
Asoka's career docs not also follow always the usual or 
accepted lines. The annotation of the inscriptions has been 
made fuller and comprehensive so as to include the different 
views and interpretations suggested, as well as parallel 
passages from Sanskrit and Pali works throwing light on the 
Points at issue. The correspondence between the Asokan 
Edicts and Kautilya’s Arlhai&Stra has been specially worked 
°'>t 'flic best preserved text of each Edict has been adopted 
•«s the standard for its study, and important variations shown 
in other texts have been pointed out in the footnotes. A 
further dement of interest has been introduced in bringing 




PREFATORY NOTE 



XII 

together in the work illustrations of important Asokan 
monuments available. Most of these illustrations arc based 
on photoprints supplied by the Archaeological Department, 
but a few on photographs taken by me on the spot, viz., 
those of Dhauli, the Kalsi elephant, and the Pillars at 
Bakhra, Lauriya Araraj, and Rummindci. The Dhauli 
photograph I owe to Mr. Nirmal Bose, M.Sc, of Puri, and 
the Rummindei to the arrangements kindly made by my 
pupil, Mr. P. P. Panday, M.A.. of Narharia, Basti. A plate 
showing the Asokan Alphabet (based on drawings kindly 
prepared by Principal A K Haidar of the Government 
School of Art and Crafts, Lucknow) has been added as an 
aid to the study of the inscriptions in the original. 1 owe 
special acknowledgments to Mr. Charan Das Chatterji, M.A., 
Lecturer in Indian History. Lucknow University, for many 
valuable references and suggestions. 

The system of transliteration adopted here may be 
understood from -the following examples: Lichchhavi, 

Krijtia, Mahdvamia, Both Sanskrit and Prakrit forms have 
been used for certain words according to convenience. 

My grateful acknowledgments are due to His Highness. 
Sir Sayaji Rao Gackwad. of Baroda, and his Government for 
their award to me of the Sayaji Rao GaekvaJ Prise with 
which this work is associated, and to the Benares Hindu 
University for Sir Maninira Chandra Nandy Lectures (1927), 
based on portions of this work. 

RADHAKUMUD MOOKERJ 1 . 



Tim Univkbwty, Lucknow, 

April, 1927 . 




CONTENTS 



ca»rttB p ' GO 

I. Early Life akd Family i 

II. History ” 

Appendix A : On Asokan Chronology from the 

Legends - • 44 

III. Administration 47 

IV. Religion 60 

V. Monuments 79 

VI. Social Conditions ioi 

VII. Translation and Annotation of the Inscrip- 

tions: 

A. Minor Rock Edicts .... 107 

B. Bhabru (Bairat No. 2) Rock Edict . 117 

C. Kaunga Rock Edicts (Separate) . . 120 

D. Fourtef.n Rock Edicts .... 128 

E. Seven Pillar Edicts .... 172 

F. Four Minor Pillar Edicts . . .193 

G. Two Commemorative Pillar Inscrip- 

tions 201 

H. Three Cave Inscriptions . . .205 

Appendix B : On the Chronology of the Asokan 
Edicts 208 

VIII. Text of the Insckipitons 215 

Appendix C: On the Script, Dialect, and 

Grammar of the Inscriptions . . .246 

Index 255 




ILLUSTRATIONS 



KAIB 

I. Capital or Asokas Pillar at Sakkath Fnmlispitet 

II. Lauriya A rada i Pillar . . . To face page 14 

III. Lumbini Pillar 37 

IV. FlGURB TO 1 Kl-LPHAM- CARVUD OS’ SlONK AT 

KAlsi Or 

V. Ramtihwa Bell-Capital 62 

VI. Sankasya Pillar with its Elephant Capitai m 84 

VII. Bakhra Pillar with m Lion-Capital . „ SO 

VIII. Raupurwa Lion-Capita 1 ,,90 

IX. Lacriya Naxkanhar* Pim-ar 92 

X BlIARIILT SCPLPTl'KE SHOW 1 ST. THE BODH- 

Gaya Truple and an Imitation Asokan 

1’ILLAR WITH Elepiiant-C M’lTAI 152 

XI. Rock-cit Elephant at Diiavli 170 

XII. Lunuint Pillar Isscrihton „ 201 

XIII. Nativity in Scllptirk in tub Kcmmindei 

Templf. 204 

XIV. Brahmaciri Minor Uock Edict . . . „ 215 

XV. Asokan Alphabet 246 

Map or Asoka’s Empire M end 




CHAPTER 1 



EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY 

Is the annals of kingship there is scarcely any record com- 
parable to that of Asoka, both as a man and as a ruler. To 
bring out the chief features of his greatness, historians have 
instituted comparisons between him and other distinguished 
monatchs in history, eastern and western, ancient and 
modem, pagan, Moslem, and Christian. In his efforts to 
establish a kingdom of righteousness after the highest ideals 
of a theocracy, he lias been likened to David and Solomon 
of Israel in the days of its greatest glory , in his patronage 
of Buddhism, which helped to transform a local into a world 
religion, he has been compared to Constantine 1 in relation to 
Christianity ; in his philosophy and piety he recalls Marcus 
Aurelius ; he was a Charlemagne in the extent of his empire 
and. to some extent, in the methods oi his administration, 
too,* while his Edicts, " rugged, uncouth, involved, full of 
repetitions," read like the speeches of Oliver Cromwell in 
their mannerisms [Rhys Davids]. Lastly, he has been com- 
pared to Klialif Omar and Emperor Akbar, whom also he 
resembles in certain respects 

As in the case of great characters like King Arthur and his 

1 Ii must be noted that opinions differ oil the appusiteness of the 
comparison. Rhys Davids holds that the convetsion of Asoka was 
the first great step on the downward path of Buddhism, the first 
Step to its expulsion from India. Another critic holds that while 
“ Constantine espoused a winning cause, Asoka put himself at the 
head of an unpopular religious reform/’ 

* Compare the mini f/ominci of Clink" magne akin to the puruyai 
of Asokan edicts, and the Matkgraftn to the Auta-Mahamitras. 




2 



ASOKA 



Knights of the Round Tabic, the good King Alfred, or King 
St. Louis of France, a mass of tradition has gathered round 
the name of Asoka. Myths and legends have freely and 
luxuriantly grown round it, especially in the tropical climate 
of Ceylon, and it would have been very difficult to recover 
his true history, were it not for the fact that he has himself 
left us a sort of autobiography in his messages to his people, 
written on rocky surfaces or exquisitely finished and polished 
pillars of stone. In these sermons on stone we find his true 
self revealed and expressed, his philosophy of life, his con- 
ception of an emperor’s duties and responsibilities, and the 
extent to which he lived to realise the high ideals and prin- 
ciples he professed and preached. This kind of evidence, 
which is not only a contemporary but a personal record, too, 
is unique in Indian history, and. whether suggested by 
indigenous or foreign precedents, it is fortunate we have it 
for one of our greatest men. " O that my words were 
written ! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead 
in the rock for ever ! " This pious wish of Job was more 
than realised in the case of Asoka in a series of thirty-five 
inscriptions published on rock or pillar, of which some arc 
located at the extremities of his empire. 

Of the two sources of his history, the legends (whether 
Ceylonese or Indian) rather hover over his early life and 
tend to retreat before the light of the edicts thrown upon 
his later life, his career as emperor. The two sources arc, 
again, sometimes in agreement, but oftener in conflict, in 
which case the inscriptions, as personal and contemporary 
documents, will have to be preferred, Moreover, the 
legends are themselves at conflict with one another in 
many places, and thus betray themselves all the more. 

Ceylon tradition (as narrated in the Dipavamza and the 
Mahdvamsa) makes Bindus&ra the husband of sixteen wives 
and father of ror sons, of whom only three are named, viz., 
Sumana (Suslma according to the northern legends), fhe 
eldest, Asoka, and Tisya (uterine brother of Asoka), the 
youngest son. The mother of Asoka in the northern tradi- 
tion is Subhadrfifigl. 1 the beautiful daughter of a Brahman 

1 Mentioned in the A stAtOvadJnamalft. but not in tl«’ DivyihvuUlM.